Differential amplifiers may be employed in a variety of electronic circuits including circuits that operate at radio frequency (RF), microwave, and millimeter wave frequencies. A differential amplifier may include a pair of transistors that generate a differential output signal at a pair of output ports in response to a differential input signal received at a pair of input ports.
A prior differential amplifier may include a set of individual inductor components. For example, inductor components may be used for transistor biasing in a differential amplifier. In addition, inductor components may be used for impedance matching at the input and/or output ports of a differential amplifier. Inductor components may also be used for noise reduction in a differential amplifier.
Unfortunately, the physical space taken up by the winding structures of individual inductor components may hinder attempts to decrease the physical size of a differential amplifier. The size limitations imposed by the physical dimensions of inductor components may be a particular hindrance in the design of differential amplifiers contained on integrated circuit chips. In addition, electrical interactions that may occur between individual inductor components may alter the frequency response of a differential amplifier away from its desired response.